CNN's Chris Cuomo goes off on Trump's new top adviser: 'Steve Bannon is not a statement of unity'

CNN anchor Chris Cuomo on Monday criticized Donald Trump's
decision to name leading alt-right figure Steve Bannon as his
chief White House strategist, telling Trump's communications
director that the controversial appointment was "not a statement
of unity."

Bannon was the CEO of Breitbart, an alt-right news outlet known
for creating provocative and at times racially charged content,
before he joined the Trump campaign in August.

He was appointed White House chief strategist on Sunday, five
days after Trump won the election and called on America to "come
together as one united people" in his victory speech.

"This is a man whose wife has said he didn't want his girls in a
school because they had too many Jews there," Cuomo told Jason
Miller, referring to
court papers filed by Bannon's ex-wife when they were
undergoing a custody battle a decade ago. (Bannon, through a
spokeswoman, has denied making the remarks.)

Stephen
BannonDanny
Moloshok/Invision/AP

"Breitbart is what it is — Ted Cruz, whom you worked for, used to
point to it as a poison affecting his own party," Cuomo
continued. "How is that a nod towards unity?"

Miller replied that Cuomo is "focused on trying to divide
people," but Cuomo cut him off.

"Not fair, Jason, not fair," he said. "You put Bannon
in position, not me. I don't put out the headlines on
Breitbart, he does."

Some of Breitbart's most controversial headlines include: "Bill
Kristol, Republican Spoiler, Renegade Jew," "Birth Control Makes
Women Unattractive And Crazy," "Data: Young Muslims In The West
Are A Ticking Time Bomb," and "World Health Organization Report:
Trannies 49 Times Higher HIV Rate."

Cuomo said that Bannon "is seen as the architect of a very
effective strategy that Donald Trump used during the election,
which you guys now say needs to be left behind.

"But you're bringing the architect of it with you. That's not on
me," he said.

Miller replied that Bannon was brought on "to help Mr. Trump
implement his vision."